Christmas Around the World: Mel's England

By: Mel



For the next couple of weeks, Wanderlittles is taking a peek at how Christmas is celebrated around the world, either traditionally or by expats living in those countries. British-mum-in-Texas Mel kicks it off today with a peek at some traditions she grew up with in England, and some suggestions for those in London or the area during the holiday. 




Christmas in England is a lot like Christmas in America in many ways. However, having lived in Texas now for almost a decade, there are definitely a few things that I miss about the Holidays back home - most of which revolve around Marks and Spencer (quite frankly the best shop in the universe!) It all starts with their Christmas commercial. I’m not quite sure how to put into words how Christmassy it makes me feel, so I’ll let you see for yourselves:

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This advert actually depicts a lot of English Christmas family traditions! First of which is what we leave out for Santa (or Father Christmas as he’s known in England) on Christmas Eve. No milk and cookies here, it’s all about the mince pies, a glass of Sherry (yes, Santa would get hit with a DUI in Europe) and a few carrots for his trusty friend Rudolph. “What are mince pies??” I hear you cry!!! Well, they are little mini pies full of yummy mincemeat. Not ground beef as many may think, mincemeat is a gooey, sticky, delicious combination of currents, orange peel, brown sugar, nuts and brandy. We serve them hot with cream or brandy butter. Yes, more booze for Saint Nick!

Christmas morning, the kiddos wake up at the crack of dawn and start eagerly going through their stockings! Stocking stuffers are much the same over there as they are here, however, there are 2 things you will always find in an English Christmas stocking - a bag of Chocolate money and a clementine – or, if you are really lucky – a Terry’s Chocolate Orange! These are seriously yummy segments of orange flavored chocolate, the perfect Christmas treat.

A traditional Christmas Dinner in England consists of a turkey, holiday ham, roast potatoes, parsnips, stuffing, Brussels sprouts (nobody likes these yet we still insist upon them) and pigs in blankets. These are little cocktail sausages wrapped in bacon and roasted in the oven! Mmmmm! At each table setting you will find a Christmas Cracker. You pull it apart with your neighbor and it opens with a cracking sound to reveal a paper crown (which everyone at the table MUST wear), a useless toy or gadget, and a terrible joke.

For dessert we eat Christmas pudding, also known as Plum Pudding or Figgy Pudding (for we all want some Figgy pudding….you know how it goes!)  The pudding is made of many dried fruits and flavored with spices.  Traditionally, when making the pudding, everyone in the household, or at least every child, would give the mixture a stir and make a wish while doing so.  It was common practice to include small silver coins in the pudding which were believed to bring wealth in the coming year to the recipient. To be honest, this doesn’t happen anymore because everyone buys their Christmas puddings from Marks and Spencer!! When the pudding is ready to be served, it is doused in brandy and set on fire! A really fun display at the dinner table.

Once dinner is over, we all retire to the sofa, where Dad usually falls asleep (let’s face it, he’s had to consume a lot of booze on behalf of Santa in the last 24 hours!) and stick on the TV. Christmas Day means all the wonderful Christmas TV specials. All the soap operas and popular shows produce a special Christmas episode which can be funny, tragic, comforting or a full on season finale! The last few weeks have been building up for this special episode. Any of you Downton Abbey fans out there will be familiar with this format! 

Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) is also a holiday in the UK. The family gatherings continue as we attempt to make our way through the vast amount of leftovers from the day before. Turkey pie, turkey salad, turkey curry (Bridget Jones anyone??) or just good old turkey sandwiches.

Finally, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas in England without the Christmas Pantomime. It is a type of musical comedy stage production that begins on Boxing Day and runs for a month or two after Christmas.  Pantomimes always have at least one cross dresser, a ton of audience participation and wildly inappropriate jokes that thankfully go completely over the kiddos’ heads.  Sounds horrendous?? It really is, but utterly wonderful at the same time.  It is British family entertainment at its finest!  As a child, I always went to a panto with my cousins and grandparents. In fact, I dreamed of one day becoming the lady who dressed up as Cinderella on stage.  Little did I realize that panto actors are usually z-list celebs who can no longer get a job on tv!

Christmas is truly a magical time in the UK. If any of you have seen the movie The Holiday, you will have seen how idyllic the countryside can be and that it doesn’t get more festive than enjoying a glass of mulled wine in a quaint English pub.  If you are thinking of visiting London during the holidays, be sure to check out:

• the lights on Oxford Street
• the enormous tree in Trafalgar Square
•  the window displays of Selfridges and Hamley’s Toy Shop in the West End.

There are also many Christmas markets, shows and street entertainers, not to mention a plethora of fantastic bars and restaurants. And, of course, be sure to pop in to Marks & Spencers! :) 

Happy Holidays Wanderlittles! Safe travels and Merry Christmas to you all! 

Check out Mel's skin care page here to help prevent (or get rid!) of those more unpleasant vacation souvenirs yourself! 


Any other favorite English Christmas traditions or must-sees?